World Monuments Fund

06/20/2026

A new generation of heritage professionals is shaping the future of Angkor.

Last week, 41 Cambodian heritage technicians and foremen were officially certified through a groundbreaking training program developed by World Monuments Fund and APSARA National Authority. Supported by the State Department's Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, the U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh and Park Hyatt Siem Reap, the program standardizes conservation skills and strengthens long-term stewardship at Angkor Archaeological Park.

For decades, WMF’s work at Angkor has centered on building local expertise—equipping technicians with the knowledge and leadership skills needed to guide conservation efforts and safeguard these monuments for generations to come.

📸 courtesy of Antony Holvoet.
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World Monuments Fund's work at Angkor Archaeological Park has been made possible, in part, by support from the U.S. Department of State; the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) and U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh; The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust; The Ralph E. Ogden Foundation; The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc.; The Estate of Margo Leavin; The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston; American Express; The DM Foundation; The Starr Foundation; International Music and Art Foundation; Mrs. Betty Wold Johnson and Mr. Douglas Bushnell; Wendy and Robert Brandow; Eleanor Briggs; Christopher and Priscilla Brewer; Samuel C. Miller and Rosetta A. Miller; The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation; Denise Gwyn Ferguson; Carnegie Corporation of New York; Isambard Kingdom Brunel Society of North America/Mr. and Mrs. Peter Norton; Donald I. Perry; Peter W. Davidson and Drew McGhee; Selma Ertegün; Tianaderrah Foundation / Nellie and Robert Gipson; Virginia James; The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts; The Estate of John Dennis; Pamela and David B. Ford; Gillian Fuller; Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund; Samuel H. Kress Foundation; and Peter Spry-Leverton.

06/19/2026

This , discover historic sites across the United States that were pivotal in the civil rights movement.

06/18/2026

Meet Malini Thadani, who leads our team in India.

With an extraordinary career that spans 14 years in the Indian Revenue Service and more than two decades driving sustainability initiatives at HSBC across Asia, Malini brings rare depth and leadership to World Monuments Fund (WMF).

Since joining in June 2024, she has transformed WMF in India by building a dynamic, growing team and positioning the organization for long-term impact. Under Malini’s leadership, Hyderabad has become a thriving center of activity for WMF, with new phases underway at the former British Residency, now Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women's University, and landmark efforts to protect India’s traditional water systems and stepwells.

Discover Malini’s personal experience with the traditional water systems of India, and how it informs her current work rehabilitating the country’s traditional water infrastructure: https://www.wmf.org/journal-articles/walking-at-dawn
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World Monuments Fund's conservation work at the Former British Residency, Osmania University College for Women has been made possible, in part, through a partnership with Osmania University College of Women, Hyderabad, and the Department of Heritage, Government of Telangana, with the generous support of The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust, Mr. Richard Broyd, American Express, American Express India, Dr. Tejaswini Yarlagadda, and the Pleach India Foundation.

World Monuments Fund India’s work at Rajon ki Baoli, New Delhi; Taj Bawdi, Karnataka; Kundvav, Gujarat; and Jaipur Bawadis, Rajasthan has been undertaken in partnership with the TCS Foundation.

06/17/2026

In the early morning hours of June 15, Russian missile and drone strikes across Kyiv claimed five lives, part of a series of recent attacks on Ukrainian cities that have collectively killed dozens. World Monuments Fund (WMF) offers our deepest condolences to all those affected.

As well as its tragic human toll, the assault also devastated one of the Ukrainian capital’s most iconic landmarks, the Dormition Cathedral. The building is part of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, an eleventh-century monastery with profound significance for Eastern Orthodox Christians. In 1990, UNESCO added the site to the World Heritage List, calling it “a masterpiece of human creative genius.”

Ukrainian cultural sites have come under increasing attack in recent months. Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, our team has worked to protect at-risk cultural sites and their stewards via our Ukraine Heritage Response Fund. As we coordinate with staff and partners on the ground in the wake of this latest assault, our team remains committed to safeguarding heritage in times of conflict, in Ukraine and elsewhere.

Read our full statement: https://www.wmf.org/news/statement-on-the-recent-attacks-on-kyivs-heritage

Photo credit: Liza Evseeva, HeMo

06/16/2026

What would Mexico City be without its chinampas?

One of the world’s oldest forms of wetland agriculture, these man-made islands provide water and food for the surrounding city and safeguard 2% of the entire globe's biodiversity. But this agricultural system is increasingly facing climate-related threats.

As part of Preserving Legacies' Heritage Adapts! campaign, World Monuments Fund invited our partners at the Chinampas of Xochimilco to show the importance of protecting this site from the impact of climate change.

Heritage Adapts! is a global campaign of local stewards uniting to take adaptation action to protect their heritage sites and cultural practices by 2030. Learn more ➡️ act.heritageadapts.org
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World Monuments Fund's work at the Chinampas of Xochimilco has been made possible, in part, by support from the Gerard B. Lambert Foundation.

06/11/2026

An unforgettable evening at the iconic Rainbow Room ✨

Hosted by WMF's Junior Board, our Summer Soirée brought together friends and supporters to celebrate the protection of modernist architecture—raising awareness and support for the future of cultural heritage.

Congratulations to Liz Waytkus, Executive Director of Docomomo US, for receiving the 2026 Watch Award honoree for her life-long dedication to conserving modernist heritage.

Thank you to everyone who attended for being part of it 🥂

📸 courtesy of Brendon Cook/BFA and Alfonoso Lozano.

06/08/2026

Happy birthday to Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most important and influential icons of modernist architecture 🎉

Explore some of his legendary works across the United States, including:

📍Guggenheim, New York
📍 Taliesin, Wisconsin
📍 Taliesin West, Arizona
📍 Fallingwater, Pennsylvania
📍 Florida Southern College

05/30/2026

World Monuments Fund is pleased to announce a new partnership with Milan’s Poldi Pezzoli Museum to restore the museum’s iconic Golden Room—an innovative example of immersive curatorial design destroyed during World War II.

One of Europe’s most important house museums, the Poldi Pezzoli is known for pioneering the period-room concept of museum curation and design. This project, led by WMF’s new Italian office, will restore the Golden Room’s original architectural harmony and curatorial vision.

Learn more about WMF’s first project in Milan: https://www.wmf.org/monuments/poldi-pezzoli-museum

05/28/2026

Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to global cultural heritage—impacting 80% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Join WMF in advancing climate solutions for heritage sites through our Cultivating Resilience program! Submit a nomination to become part of a global network of heritage gardens and greenspaces working to assess climate risks, share knowledge, and develop projects that strengthen resilience.

Representatives and professionals associated with greenspaces are invited to nominate their site by June 20 at 11:59pm ET:

World Monuments Fund (WMF) is seeking proposals to join Cultivating Resilience, our signature program strengthening the ability of historic gardens and designed landscapes to adapt to the impacts of climate change

05/27/2026

Step inside WMF’s newest project at Milan’s Museum.

An innovative museum that pioneered the concept of the period room, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum was badly damaged during World War II. The ambitious first project of our new global office will return the central gallery of this famous house museum to its original glory.

Visit the 🔗 in our bio to learn more.